The Hidden Truth
by RiOtKiD
Summary: This leaves off were the book, Tricksters choice ended (UPDATED! I just added chapter 3!)
1. Default Chapter

The Hidden Truth  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Disclaimer: YOU THERE! HALT!!! YES YOU!! LISTEN, I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS!!! (Well, except for the plot, of course!) SO DON'T SUE ME! I'M INOCENT!!!  
  
Aly's stared off into the distance as her father disappeared from sight. Nawat rested a hand on her shoulder. Aly jumped in surprise,"Wha- Oh, Nawat.don't sneak up on me like that."  
  
Nawat wiped a warm, soft tear from Aly's face, as it tricked down her cheek.  
  
"I don't like it when you are sad, your face is always much nicer when you smile," He touched her hand. Aly shook her head,  
  
"I'm fine. Why would I be sad? It was my choice to stay here. Uh. let's go inside."Aly pulled away, and walked inside, leaving Nawat.  
  
* * *  
  
A week after George's departure, Aly was just finishing riding with Dove, when Winnamine approached Aly. "Aly, may I speak to you?"  
  
Aly and Dove looked at each other as they both dismounted their horses.  
  
"In private."Winnamine added. Dove's looked at her stepmother, with big pouty eyes. Winnamine smiled and crossed her arms, "Dove, I think you're a little too old to be making faces like that."  
  
Dove frowned, and led the horses to the barns. Winnamine turned to Aly, "Why didn't you leave with him? Is there something the god has not told us?"  
  
Aly shook her head, "There is nothing you have not been told. I didn't leave with my father because I do not have the heart to leave what I have come to love."  
  
She looked around herself and smiled. Winnamine looked at her, puzzled, "But you have a chance to go home, and you have been our slave. Why would you not want to leave?"  
  
Aly smiled, "Lady, I have already told you my reason, if you do not mind me correcting you. May you please except my reason to stay?"  
  
Winnamine sighed. "Alright, I trust you, we may leave it at that."  
  
Aly curtsied, "Thank you, Lady," And she went to the barns to clean off her chestnut mare, Cinnamon.  
  
* * *  
  
"So what did my mother want?" Asked Dove, as Aly combed out Cinnamon's mane.  
  
"Oh, basically the same thing that every one else here has asked me."Aly replied, politely.  
  
Dove looked at Aly,  
  
"I've been wondering the same, but I guess I shouldn't bother you with it, you probably won't tell me anything I don't know," She asked, as Aly hung up Cinnamons tack, and started to walk inside.  
  
* * *  
  
Aly was about to go to bed when Nawat came in. "Nawat, what are you doing here? It's really late."  
  
Nawat smiled, and handed Aly a dream-catcher. "This is for, you. I spent all day working on it."  
  
Aly looked at it.  
  
"Wow, it's very pretty," She said, as she ran her fingers along the soft threads, intertwining through a circle of emerald beads, and crow feathers. Nawat put his hand on hers.  
  
"That is not all," A mischievous smile flickered across his face "Speak your fathers name, and at any time, you will be able to speak to him, as long as he is near something shiny."  
  
Aly gasped, her face glowing, and embraced Nawat. "Thank you! Thank you! Oh Nawat this is so great!"  
  
Nawat smiled, and looked into Aly's eyes. "Hopefully this will be just as great,"  
  
He leaned in, and their lips met, in a long, intense kiss. Nawat ran his callused, yet gentle hands through Aly's short, bronze hair. Then, he slowly pulled away, and walked out the door. Leaving Aly shocked at what they had done, yet in some way, very happy too. 


	2. The Hidden Truth, chapter 2

Chap. 2  
  
That night, Aly slept fitfully. In her dreams, she felt empty, and alone. The entire refuge was empty of life. She ran through the empty, ghost-like hallways, in search of Winnamine. As she searched, she approached the barns. They stood formidable, and gray. Slowly, she walked in. Then, in the cold, hard silence, she heard something hit the ground. She spun around, and there, on the ground lay Nawat. Bloody, and slashed, he lay there, unmoving. Aly screamed.  
  
"NOOOO!!!!!!"  
  
* * *  
  
Aly sat up in bed, sweaty, her chest heaving. Suddenly, the door opened, and Sarai peeked in."Aly, what happened?"  
  
Aly looked at Sarai, eyes dilated with fear. "It was just a nightmare, I'm fine."  
  
Sarai stepped in and closed the door behind her. Then, gracefully, sat down on the end of Aly's bed.  
  
"Sarai?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I need to talk to you."  
  
"Aly, you can tell me anything. What's wrong?" She scooted closer to Aly, as Aly sighed.  
  
"Well, earlier tonight, Nawat came in, and he kissed me. It was very unexpected, and well, I'm not sure what to make of it." Aly said.  
  
Sarai smiled. "It's quite obvious that he likes you. And you know it." Her smile faded. "But that's not what's bothering you, is it?"  
  
Aly shook her head. "No, I had this dream. No one was here, and I was panicked. As I was searching the barns, I heard something behind hit the ground. I turned around, and there was Nawat, bloody, dead."  
  
Sarai gasped, "I'm sure he's fine. Just go back to sleep, and everything well be fine." She said, as she patted Aly on the shoulder.  
  
"I guess, goodnight Sarai."  
  
"Goodnight Aly."  
  
* * *  
  
Aly slowly got out of bed, and got dressed. Quickly, she ran to the barns, she was going to take care of the sheep today, and she had accidentally slept in. As Aly mounted her horse, listened around her. It was dead quiet. Just like her dream.  
  
"No," She whispered. But then she thought, *I'll go do my job, and when I come back, everything will be normal again. I'm just paranoid because of my dream.yeah, that's all.*  
  
Aly then, rode off with her sheep. While eating her breakfast of bread and cheese, she watched the sheep. They weren't acting normal. The sheep would not graze; they just stood there, looking around as if they were lost.  
  
"Come on you stupid sheep! Graze!" She yelled at them in frustration. They continued to stand there, stupidly. Aly got up, groaning in frustration.  
  
"Fine, well go back.stupid animals."Aly mumbled as she mounted Cinnamon, and she herded the sheep back home.  
  
Upon her arrival, Aly noticed that everything was quiet still. Until she stepped inside. It was pandemonium; slaves and servants were running around, searching the rooms. Aly went to Winnamine, who was sobbing. "Lady, what has happened?"  
  
Winnamine wiped her tears and looked at the floor. "Dove is missing."  
  
She answered quietly. Aly gasped, why? What happened? Where did she go? Aly collected her self, and turned to Winnamine."I'm sure we will find, her. She probably just went for a ride."  
  
Winnamine shook her head. "No, weave already had our servants search the valley. I'm going to need you to send letters out to the village, to our friends."  
  
Aly nodded. "When do I leave?"  
  
"Now"  
  
Aly and Winnamine went to Winnamine's quarters, and quickly, Winnamine wrote out several letters. She handed them to Aly. "The address is on the front, I trust you will not get lost."  
  
Aly nodded.  
  
"These will be delivered as soon as possible." With that, Aly quickly ran back to the barns, and remounted Cinnamon.  
  
"I'm sorry for all of this, Cinnamon." She apologized.  
  
"Lets go!" She commanded, and they shot off toward the village. 


	3. The Hidden Truth, chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Aly slowed Cinnamon as they approached the village. Aly glanced at the first three addresses, it was here in town. Quickly, they delivered the messages. Once finished with the first three, Aly looked at the address of the fourth letter. She groaned, instead of searching for Dove, she was stuck out here, delivering letters. While leaving the village, people stared at Aly. It had been like this every time she had been near the Raka. As Aly rode out of the village, a black bur came shooting out of the trees, hitting Aly square in the face.  
  
"What the-" she blurted, then fell unconscious.  
  
* * *  
  
Slowly, her eyes opened. She looked at her surroundings, she was lying on the ground, and Cinnamon was gone.  
  
Quickly, she got up, "Oh, no, were is Cinnamon?"  
  
"Do not worry, this is just a dream." A voice answered behind her. Aly turned around, and looked up in a tree behind her. A glistening black crow sat in the twisting, wiry, leafless branches of the tree.  
  
"I'm sorry about my hitting you. I needed someway to get you unconscious." It said, cocking its head to one side. "I have important information I must tell you."  
  
Aly's face brightened, "Is it about Dove? Did someone find her?"  
  
The birds face looked sullen, "No, but it does have to do with that. Nawat is with her."  
  
Aly looked shocked, "No! Not both of them! Were are they?" She yelled.  
  
The crow shook its head, "I do not know myself were they are, but I the other crows have seen them recently. They were last seen heading north toward the ocean. There was a band of soldiers holding them captive."  
  
Aly thought a moment, then looked up and the crow. "Tell the other crows that I am going after them."  
  
The crow flapped its wings, "No, you can't! There is only one of you, and many of them!"  
  
Aly shook her head, "I will have you, the crows to help me."  
  
The crow stared, "You no longer have a wager with the god. We do not have to help you."  
  
Aly raised a brow, "So, basically you are saying that you are just going to let a fellow crow, and one of your Raka; who to you are one with the crows.die?" The bird thought about this, then nodded, "We will help. For them, not you." With that the crow flew off, and Aly returned to her awake state.  
  
* * *  
  
Aly got up, and remounted Cinnamon. The last letter could wait; she needed to prepare for her search. 


End file.
